The author of the whistleblower complaint against Donald Trump that set off what has now become his impeachment has been subject to a torrent of threats that sometimes “spike” so heavily, the individual receives an armed security escort on his commute to work at CIA headquarters, according to a report published on Wednesday by The Washington Post .
The “spike” in threats is “seemingly spurred by presidential tweets,” according to The Washington Post . The whistleblower is reported to work as an intelligence analyst for the CIA.
But one day after the report, Trump retweeted a post from his own campaign’s account on his Twitter, linking directly to a news article that included a name alleged to be the whistleblower’s. The name has circulated widely on right-wing media but yet to be officially confirmed.
Trump has been aware of the name and “gossiped” about it for “weeks” with friends, media members, and administration officials, according to a report by The Daily Beast . But his top advisers have strongly advised him not to announce the name publicly.
Even Fox News host Sean Hannity, who reportedly also advises Trump in nightly phone calls, has not encouraged the president to publicize the name, though Hannity himself has allegedly gossiped about it as well, according to The Daily Beast .
Trump’s daughter Ivanka, as well as White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, have “cautioned” the president against making the name public, though he has repeatedly asked whether it would be a “good idea” for him to tweet out the name. According to the Daily Beast report, “multiple sources close to Trump” have said that they are “shocked” that he has not given in to temptation and revealed the name already.
Under federal law, whistleblowers are entitled to “have their identity kept confidential and are protected against reprisals by others in the executive branch,” according to the National Whistleblower Center .
But Trump has repeatedly called for the informant’s identity to be revealed both in statements to the press and on Twitter.
The president is “very likely violating laws prohibiting intimidation of witnesses and reprisals against whistleblowers,” NWC Executive Director John Kostyack said in a statement.
“He is failing to uphold his duty to enforce the anti-reprisal law.”
The Twitter post retweeted by Trump was posted by the Trump War Room account, and directed to Mark Zaid, an attorney who represents the still officially unidentified whistleblower. Despite the threats against him by Trump’s supporters, who appear to be egged on by the president himself, the informant continues to report to work at the CIA, where he analyzes intelligence related to Russia and Ukraine.
